Raising our Apricity Puppies
From the very beginning, we strive to produce puppies that are of sound health, temperament and structure. This process starts long before the puppies are born – we carefully select our breeding dogs based off extensive pedigree analysis, temperament and structural evaluations, and thorough health testing. Each pairing is a dream, a vision, for what I aim to achieve long before the puppies exist.
Our dams are cared for as members of the family and kept in our own home, or with carefully selected co-owners who we know and trust. They are way more than just breeding dogs – they are the heart and soul of our breeding program. A healthy dam is needed to produce a healthy litter; our girls receive thorough veterinary care, vaccinations, parasite prevention, training and mental stimulation, and are our loving pets and companions.
Our puppy raising process includes the Puppy Culture program, components of Avidog, and our own unique additions to help our puppies grow into confident and versatile rays of sunshine.
Birth to Two Weeks
Puppies are whelped in our bedroom, with the whelping box right next to our bed, so that puppies and mom can be appropriately attended to. For the first two weeks of life, I sleep right next to them to provide any assistance that our mama dog may need. The puppies are handled multiple times per day, weighed daily, and undergo early neurologic stimulation (ENS) from day 3-16. At 2 weeks of age, we start introducing new surfaces and objects into the whelping box for puppies to interact with. We start litter training as soon as the puppies are mobile.
Weeks Three to Five
At 3 weeks of age, puppies can see and hear. They are introduced to new and exciting objects as we start our adventure into exploration of motion and sounds! The puppies have new toys and surfaces introduced to the whelping box every day for them to explore, including objects that move underfoot and make lots of noise. Nails continue to be trimmed every 3 days, and puppies are handled daily. Around 4 weeks, we venture outside for the first time and start to introduce other, safe adult dogs of our household to the puppies. As they grow and change, the puppies graduate out of the whelping box into a puppy pen with multiple surfaces and objects to explore and litter training continues. Stacking practice starts at 4 weeks of age, so we can assess the puppies’ structure as they grow. We also have visitors come to our home to play with and handle the puppies – this is usually the age when potential new owners first get to see the puppies! We introduce crate training at 5-6 weeks of age and continue to work on this skill until puppies leave for their new homes.
Weeks Six to Ten
The puppies are full-fledged chaos children now! At 6 weeks, we start to venture further from home. We go on adventures to local parks, friends’ houses, creeks and ponds to splash in, and have our puppy party. We introduce treats, the clicker, and the idea of training and engagement. When the puppies are 8-9 weeks old, they have their first vaccine and our puppy party is scheduled. At the puppy party, we have a train and trade where we go to a local training facility and our amazing dog sport friends get together to work with and train the puppies. They practice leash walking, going through tunnels, handling for veterinary care, moving objects like the teeter or wobble board, and sitting out and watching (an important skill!) Crate training continues, with puppies gradually working up to individual crates and crating overnight with a potty break in the middle of the night. We spend lots of time outside playing and interacting with adult dogs so the puppies can learn proper dog socializing behavior. The puppies also spend time alone going on adventures without their siblings, so they are well-adjusted to life without being surrounded by littermates.
Around 8-10 weeks of age, puppies are matched to their new homes based on temperament and structural evaluations that have taken place throughout the puppies’ entire time with us. They receive another round of vaccinations, are started on flea/tick/heartworm prevention, visit the ophthalmologist, undergo BAER (hearing) testing if indicated, and have multiple veterinary health checks. Between 10-12 weeks, puppies are off to their new homes! They are accompanied by a puppy kit that includes some of their favorite things as well as comprehensive records and handouts to help their families get off to a great start and continue with the foundation we have laid.